A is for Animagi
by Mrs Grim
Summary: It's the last year at Hogwarts for MWPP and friends. While packing, they discover a diary they wrote over the years...fun insues as they spend their last night reliving there past adventures.


A/N: Ever heard of A is for Alibi and those books? I dunno who wrote them…but that's what inspired this. There will be a series of stories about the marauders generation. This had nothing to do with my other stories though some of the characters may be the same…  
  
Disclaimer: All these characters (except Dara) are J.K. Rowlings. Not mine…sigh…  
  
A is for Animagi  
By Mrs Grim  
  
7th year Lily Evans stopped as her hand hit something hard under her bed. She and the other 7th years were packing up. Yes, they were leaving. Although she had wished for this day for so long, she now didn't want to leave. This castle held so many memories for her! She grasped the object and pulled it out carefully. She brushed it off, scattering spiders, and nearly laughed out loud when she saw what it was. It was a diary. Oh, not just anyone's…it was the Marauders'. She tossed a sock at her boyfriend, James Potter, who was across the room.  
  
"Lily!" He protested, throwing it back.  
  
"Don't throw things at me!" She said, trying to sound indignant, "I'M the one helping you clean up your messy room.  
  
Sirius, packing his trunk with help from Lily's best friend, Dara, laughed.  
  
Dara glared at him, "He's not the only one who needed help packing…"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sirius exclaimed, "I could have had this done hours ago if you women weren't such confounded perfectionists! Ouch!" he added as Dara hit him with a nearby book.  
  
"Well, you deserved it," Lily told him with a grin, "What would you do without us?"  
  
Sirius opened his mouth to say something, probably a rude comment, but he closed it when he realized he'd just get hit again.  
  
"I'll bet you won't believe what I'VE found," Lily said baiting him.  
  
James and Sirius' faces took on horrified looks.  
  
"We can explain-"  
  
"They aren't ours, I swear-"  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow, "They? This is a book."  
  
"Oh, uh- never mind then," James said quickly, "Er- what book is it?"  
  
"It has some nice little pictures of, let's see, a dog, a stag, a rat, and a werewolf-" Lily broke off as James dove for the book. She moved and he crashed into the bed.  
  
Lily grinned evilly, "Oh! So this is important, is it?"  
  
James was back on his feet, "Lily," he said with sickening sweetness, "Come on now…why don't you just give me the book, sweetums?"  
  
"Sweetums?" Sirius gagged with laughter, "Oh, God, James, do you ever have a lot to learn…"  
  
James advanced on Lily and she threw the book to Dara yelling, "Catch!" Dara caught it, but was, in turn, caught by Sirius. She tossed it back to Lily.  
  
"I have a hostage!" Sirius told Lily, holding onto Dara, "Hand over the book and no one gets tickled!"  
  
"No!" Dara fairly screamed, "You know how ticklish I am! Lily, give them the book!"  
  
Lily regarded her friend, "I dunno…"  
  
"Lily Evans!" Dara shouted, through her laughter.  
  
"Oh, very well," Lily tossed the book to James who breathed a sigh of relief. He placed it in his trunk and was about to close the lid when Lily interrupted.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
"Yes, dear?" He asked her.  
  
"Jamesie. Sweetheart. You're not getting away that easily. Let's see it."  
  
"You're definitely caught between two evils," Sirius remarked.  
  
"Let's see it, or I'll never kiss you again."  
  
James pulled a face and handed the book over to Lily who sat down on one of the beds. Dara plopped beside her and they began to read.  
  
"Wow!" Lily commented, "You never told us some of this!" She turned a page.  
  
"I remember that!" Dara gasped.  
  
James and Sirius didn't budge.  
  
"Are you through?" James asked icily.  
  
Lily looked at him innocently, "No. C'mon James! This is priceless! Look at all the stories in here! It's just perfect for our last night at Hogwarts."  
  
James couldn't wipe that look off of her face, "Very well…"  
  
"Yes!" she jumped up and hugged him, "Where's Remus and Peter? They have to see this." She closed it and got to her feet, "But first- packing!"  
  
Ignoring the groans from James and Sirius, they got to work.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, Lily, James, Dara, Sirius, Remus and Peter settled themselves into the boys dormitory ready to spend their last night at Hogwarts. Lily opened the book.  
  
"I get to pick the first entry," she told them, "Ooh! How about this one? The title of this entry is Animagi…"  
  
Lily magics a screen on to the opposite wall and the words start to come…  
  
**Dear Dairy,**  
  
Lily and Dara burst out laughing.  
  
Dara: James can't spell!   
  
James (throws a sock at her)  
  
Dara: Lily! Control your boyfriend!  
**  
Tonight was the night. Tonight we did it.**  
  
Lily: Did what exactly…  
  
James(shakes his head): You and your sick minds…(ducks to avoid a shoe)  
  
**I can't believe that we finally got it right….but we had. Although it was the most illegal thing we've ever done, I know we were all waiting breathlessly until it worked.  
  
Well, it was midnight, or thereabouts. Me, Sirius, and Peter were staked out in our "secret" place. Here we had been for too long. Becoming an animagi is NOT an easy task. It involves a lot more than a few spoken words. It is ADVANCED magic. Luckily, Sirius and I were experienced beyond our years.**  
  
Remus: And Peter wasn't.  
  
**But it still took a long time.  
**  
Peter: Hey!  
  
Sirius: Delayed reaction.  
  
**Well, firstly, there is the process of figuring out what animal that you want to be. This can be difficult…sometimes you don't turn into what you'd wanted.**  
  
Peter: Like me…  
  
Dara: Poor Peter (hugs him)  
  
Sirius (looks very jealous and throws a pillow at Peter)  
  
**And then there was the research. You couldn't just expect to turn into an animal and know everything you need to know. You had to understand flight if you were a flying animal, you had to have some idea how to get around on four legs if necessary, and the list went on. That is one reason there aren't many animagi. People are way too lazy.**  
  
Lily: Then how did you ever-  
  
Remus: Point taken.  
  
**Well, back to the story.**  
  
Dara: It's about time. James, you aren't the most captivating writer, are you?  
  
James (picks up an old potions essay, but puts it down when Lily glares at him)  
  
**Here we all were, half asleep and as sick as hell of trying to transform. Oh, sure, it'd happened before, but then you'd change back right away and would spend the rest of the night being sick. Peter knew how this felt.**  
  
Everyone(laughs)  
  
Peter(sulks)  
  
**After hours of practice visualizing the animal of our choice and trying to become one with it, Sirius, as usual, became his normal, complaining self.**  
  
Sirius: Hey!  
  
James(looks about innocently)  
  
**"James, it's not use! Let's go raid the kitchens…"  
  
Peter looked nervous, "Why don't we go to sleep? There's the huge potions test tomorrow…"**  
  
Dara: So THAT'S why you fell asleep during class…  
  
Peter: Don't remind me, please!  
  
James: I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually tear their own hair out in frustration like he did.  
  
**I, however, was optimistic.**  
  
**"Guys! Let's just give it one more try! Please?!" I suggested.**  
  
Sirius: Pleaded was more like it.  
  
James: Hey! It's a good thing I did…  
  
**They gave into my superior reasoning**  
  
Remus: Ha!  
  
**and decided to give it one more try. I put my whole heart and soul into it. This was our goal, our dream. I knew how much it would mean to Remus if we could make this work. We hadn't told him yet…he wouldn't have wanted us to do it.**  
  
Remus: Damn right!  
  
James: Think of how much we would have missed out on!  
  
Sirius: Especially that ONE night-  
  
James: Ahem.  
  
Sirius: Uh, right.  
  
Lily: You haven't heard the last of this, Jamesie…  
  
James(to Sirius): Look what you've gotten me into!  
  
**This was as concentrated as I had ever been. I was ready. It would be tonight.  
  
The feeling that came over me was like none that I'll ever be able to explain. Becoming one with the shape you want is not easy, but, when it happens, it is suddenly all worth it. It is seeing the world in a different light. Not a better one, but it opens up so many possibilities. I take a deep breath and will myself back into my original form.  
  
They both are staring at me. Finally, Sirius speaks. As he does, a broad grin breaks across his face, "You did it." He suddenly closed his eyes and looked as if he was thinking with all his might. Then, a huge black dog was in his place. **  
  
James: Thank you, Mr. Obvious.  
  
**James grinned back as Sirius transformed to his human form. Sirius looked shocked and amazed. Peter was looking on in horror mingled with curiosity. He was terrified.**  
  
Peter: I was NOT terrified.  
  
James: Of course not…  
**  
It took quite a while for them to help Peter. It was past 3 before he got it right. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly get to be his animal of preference.**  
  
Peter: THAT'S the understatement of the year!  
  
**But it turned out that his size was to our advantage. How else would we get to the Whomping Willow without getting whomped?  
**  
Lily: What a sentence.  
  
**We stumbled back to our beds, but I couldn't sleep. We had just made a major breakthrough. No way would our lives be the same. Just wait until the full moon. We were going to raise some hell.**  
  
Dara: That would scare me if I didn't know you. Wait, it still does scare me…  
  
James(to Lily): Are you happy now?  
  
Lily: Yes, I think so.  
  
Sirius: I'M not. I think it's your turn. I know you two have a diary.  
  
Remus: Wow, Sirius had a good idea.  
  
Peter: Wow, Sirius had an idea.  
  
Sirius(throws assorted clothes at both of them)  
  
James: I just packed those!  
  
Sirius: I hope you enjoyed it, 'cause you'll be doing it again.  
  
James(grabs Lily's arm as she walks past quickly): Where are you going?  
  
Lily: Well, we _were_ going away to hide our diary, but I guess that now we're going to get it so we can read it.  
  
James: Good. I think you need an escort.  
  
Dara: Not you James, or else you two will disappear for a couple hours.  
  
James blushes and Remus goes with Lily to get the book.  
  
  
**A/N: How was it so far? I am hoping to continue in alphabetical order if anyone likes it…  
  
Review please!  
  
~Mrs Grim~ **  
  
  
  



End file.
